Folding seat.



G. H. E. VON WRANAU.

FOLDING SEAT.

APPLICATION PILED JI INE17,1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 19M.

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G. H. E. VON WRANAU.

FOLDING SEAT.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE17,1912. EJ66 693, Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

2 SHIEETSSHEET 2 TH'E .xORRls PETERS C0,. PHOTOVIJTHOH WASHINGION. 1 E.

Gamma HAAsE EDLER voN WRANAU, 01*

THIRD TO JAMES c. WORKMAN, SEBASTIAN, or TOLEDO, OHIO.

- Speeification of Jtette'rs' Pats.

emanate, oriIo, AsSIGNoR or ownor CLEVELAND, OHIO, AND ONE-THIRD ToLOUIS FOLDING SEAT.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

Application filed Jane 1?, i912. Serial No. 704,109.

To all whom it may] concern Be it known that I, GorTLInB HAASE ED- LERVON TRANAU, citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in thecounty of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Folding Seats, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has reference to folding seats, and particularly theclass of seats used in audience rooms and other places where, forobvious reasons, it is desirable to have the seat fold automaticallywhen the occupant rises and leaves the seat free to be closed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of mynew and improved seat structure showing the seat in full lines as downand occupied, and in dotted lines in the act of folding. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the seat structure with the seat folded in full linesand open in dotted lines, but the seat itself is modified as to Fig. 1and adapted especially to opera houses and other places ofpopularentertainment, while the style shown in Fig. 1 is adapted to state roomsin seagoing vessels where at the best the room is very cramped. Fig. 3is a sectional elevation of the seat structure shown in Fig. 1 asfolded, and Fig. A is a front view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of one of the side arms supporting the seat, and Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the seat proper showing the bottom thereof.

The invention as thus shown is essentially automatic in its foldingoperations, and as such is especially distinguished from the largevariety of folding seats found in school rooms and audience rooms butnone of which possess the distinguishing characteristics of the presentinvention, as will presently be seen. Thus, the complete structurecomprises two side frames or parts A, featured with vertical slots 2 intheir lower portions and pivot holes3 at their top from which suspensorylinks 4- engage the seat S at about its middle and sides. Whether theframes or supports A be constructed to fasten to a wall, as in Fig. 1,or to rest upon the floor as in Fig. 2, is immaterial since tlie solefunction of the said parts A is to support the seat, and in the case ofFig. 2 to afford a rest for the back 5. In Figs. 1, 3 and 4 the wall orpartition 6 of which are constructed to .fastening the state room servesas the back for the seat as well as the immediate support of the twoframes or parts A and against which the seat S is adapted to fold out ofthe way of the occupant of the room.

The suspensory members or links 4 are engaged with the frames A highenough to swing-forward into inclined supporting position for the seat Swhen used and to hang vertically back out of the way when the seat 1sfolded. The seat itself cooperates parts themselves afford. To theseends the said arms are each provided with a seatrest indicated by theflat surface 8 and a rearward extension of this surface upon the bottomof the open recess or slot 9 adapted to receive and confine the innercorners of the seat, and an angular recess 10 intervenes the ends ofsaid rest surface 8 at each side as shown, while the seat itself isprovided with a cross-bar 12 adapted to occupy said recess and has itsinner corners provided with angular depressions 14: adapted to fitclosely in the slots 9. Outer side flanges 15 on the arms D engage theedges of the seat, and it follows that when a seat is introduced tothese conditions it is compelled to remain and cannot fall out norbecome displaced. Obviously it will be held by cross-bar 12 from slidingforward or rearward and by the upper wall 11 of recess or slot 9 frombeing raised either rear or front. It follows that the seat must beoriginally inserted from the side of said arms when the parts areassembled. A rod 16 connects the side arms of the seat and the ends ofthe suspensory links 4 and is upset at its ends, preferably, to make apermanent connection.

Finally, the automatic closing of the seat is by gravity and excludessprings or other artificial means for this purpose. To these ends thesuspensory point in and through the cross rod 16 and links 1 is forwardof the center of gravity of the seat a suflicient distance to give thepreponderance of weight to the rear thereof. Thus, in Fig. 5 it will beobserved that the hole 17 for said rod or pivot is forward of recess 10and of the middle of said arm, and while the seat itself projectsforward upon said arms more or less as shown in Fig. -l, the excess ofweight notwithstanding is positively to the rear of said pivot. Hence itfollows naturally when a person rises from the seat that it will at oncetilt back out of the way and make clearance to leave the place withoutany effort or thought on the part of the person who vacates the seat.The respective arms D are accordingly counterweighted in their reartrunnion or bearings 18 by the cross rod 20 which is confined at itsends in the slots 2 and slidable up and down therein according as theseat is raised and lowered.

In the foregoing construction itis to be especially observed that in anyevent the seat folds flat against the wall behind, and that the rear ofthe seat runs down in the slots 2 while the suspensory links swing intoline with said slot and fold back out of the way at the sides of theseat, the pivot '16 going down to a point just below the upper portionsof said slots. To open the seat a comparatively easy pressure by thefingers inward at the top edge of the seat will swing it into positionas in dotted lines, Fig. 1, but in which position it must be held untilthe person is seated. It is to be further obj served that no nails norscrews are employed in assembling this structure, and that the seat isheld absolutely fixed and rigid within side arms D without either screwor nail or kindred device. When placed in position laterally as to thearms D the rib or bar at its bottom prevents slipping out to the frontor rear while the lip 11 over the slots or recesses 9 prevents the seatfrom being tilted out, and the rod 16 being riveted in place makes apermanent and rigid fixture of the seat. Furthermore the entire supportof the seat is suspensory on the links or hangers 4, both when the seatis open and when folded, and slots 2 serve chiefly for confining the rod2' upon which the arms of the seat aresupported at their rear. 7

Loose play and objectionable noises in folding operations and under therolling movements of'the vessel or carrier are taken care of in a simplemanner bya fiat retard-' ing and cushioning spring 21 or its equivalent,secured to the bulkhead or wall 6 at or near the bottom ends of theframe A and preferably opposite each arm D. 1

What I claim is: r

In self-folding seats, a pair of side arms having each a flat surface onits inside for the seat to rest upon and a recess midway in said surfaceand a slot at the inner end thereof having a confining lip over its topparallel with said surface, a seat having a transverse rib on its bottomoccupying said recess and constructed at its inner corners to enter saidslots, and means binding the said arms tightly upon the seat across itsmiddle. r

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

GOTTLIEB ILAASE EDLER VON. WRANA Witnesses: p Y

R. B. MosER, F. O. MUSSUN.

Goplel of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

